1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image forming apparatuses and, more particularly, to methods and apparatuses for providing enhanced cover sheet options for computer-generated printed documents.
2. Description of Related Art
Most contemporary operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, permit a user to print a document on a printer from a networked computer workstation. The printing process typically comprises the user generating a printable document using an application program on a host computer. The host computer is often a computer workstation on a network. The host computer utilizes a printer driver, which, in conjunction with the operating system, converts the document into a language readable by the printer. The printer often comprises the combination of a printer controller coupled to a print engine. The document is then formatted by the printer controller and sent to the print engine for printing.
A printer driver is a software program or file that resides on the host computer, typically on the host computer's hard drive and run from memory (e.g., RAM), rather than the printer itself. The driver takes into account the individual characteristics of a printer and converts graphics and text into device-specific data at the time of printing. A printer driver also gives the host computer and its user an understanding of the capabilities of the printer, so that all the printer features can be used.
The printer driver normally tells the host computer what printer language the printer uses, how many paper feeders it has, and what sizes of paper it can support. The language used by a printer is the set of commands it obeys to format data sent from a computer. The printer driver also allows the user to access many features and options of the printer, such as the generation of cover pages for a document. The printer driver also allows the user to designate a document as duplex, wherein the printer prints the pages of document on both faces of sheets of paper. A document can also be designated as simplex, wherein the printer prints out a document on only the front faces of sheets of paper.
In certain circumstances, a user may desire to provide the document cover with a different format with respect to the remainder of a document. For example, the user may desire to use one type or size of paper for the document cover and another type or size of paper for the remainder of a document. A user may also desire to designate a document cover as duplex and the remainder of the document as simplex, or vice-versa. While some printers allow the user to use different paper types for document covers, there is no simple way for a user to print the cover page of a document in duplex and print the remainder of the document in simplex, or vice-versa.